Drilling P.C. Boards (tips solicited)

I found some very small drill bits at a hobby store. Not carbide, which didn't need for the cooper clad boards.

For small signal stuff use 30 awg kynar wire. I just used some yesterday to build a 50A Hall effect current sensor using ACS758. I usually use 3 different color wires. Red for power, blue for gnd and green for signal.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/30-ft-Red-Kynar-wire-wrap-wire-30-awg-for-modding-/250539633826?pt=US_Other_Video_Game_Accessories&hash=item3a55536ca2

Radio Shack has a cool kynar wire stripper. I've had mine for 30 years.

Wire wrapping & stripper

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:

And is there a superior grade of hookup wire? I would prefer wire that it extremely soft annealed and easier to strip. I could also profit from expert advice on wire wrapping tools and accessories.

WyoTraveler wrote:
I think he is using perforated bread boards not printed circuit boards. Enlarging the holes to fit his pin size. Hard to find a lot of that stuff anymore in this throw away world.

Understood.

However I was giving Mex some ideas for DIY purpose made boards for future use. Helps a lot with repeatability when you are trying to make more than one off..

The downside to those newer solder pad perf boards is that the copper doughnut is just barely bigger than the hole. That means drilling out the holes even slightly larger will result in very little copper pad to solder to. Older perf boards years ago there was bigger solder pads..

For small bits you can get a dremel set which goes from 1/32 to 1/8..

HERE

Pretty much should cover any needs for circuit board usage.

The one on the right

I have been using these for years. Spin the pick while thinning it down on a grinding wheel. The needle sharp pick will enter the hole and you can spin it by hand while turning. Works great.

I do not know about carbide drills less you are drilling epoxy boards or glass/epoxy boards.. But a Dremel Drill Press.. NOTHING better for drilling, use a variable speed tool (or a variable speed adapter) and run it fairly slow, light pressure and let it work it's way through. As you get used to using it you can pick up the speed.

Alas, I do not have the drill press adapter for my dremel so I still hand hold.

Oh, and my Dremel is a Crafstman (But I very strongly suspect Dremel made it) my original Dremel was a Genuine article, lasted like 21 years, and then since it was no old enough to legally smoke,, it did, So I had to replace it. got the crafstman on sale, Nice variable speed unit, use it a lot.

See?
I felt optimistic but ignorant when I posted my question. Along comes a totally new answer among many that seemingly is exactly what I need! Mil Gracias LScamper and everyone else!

Don't need any fancy stuff to enlarge perf board holes unless you have many to do. Try a search for pin vise. Something like this. Not saying this one is good.

http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Level-2715-Precision-Drill/dp/B001DZE5BQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1416009599&sr=8-4&keywords=pin+vise

I have used a pin vise and small bits to enlarge hundreds if not thousands of holes in perf board in the last 40 years.

Smallest drill locally is 1/16" fractional who's hole you can throw a cat through. Next check comes a wire color assortment (24 gauge) and I guess a Dremel tool and stand.

Just a note: I am working with battery power, a 12-volt motion detector, relay, a 12-80 volt booster set at 36 volts and a couple of 30 watt LED chips. The PC boards are for the LED heatsink fan which is 12 volts via an LM 7812. I am hoping to have one at each end of the trail of tears to the generator shed.the first, the one on the house (rig) should light up 75' just fine, the 2nd the rest of the way to the shed. The ground is rocky and tricky using a flashlight.

I already have 70 PC boards so I might as well use them. Some of the heatsinks have tension springs for the components and the springs are made of wire a lot larger than the PC perforations. Next I get to work on a wireless 200 ampere 24 volt control - yippee. 7ma draw when the MOSFETS are alive. They can stay on for days and have little effect on kWh usage.

I think he is using perforated bread boards not printed circuit boards. Enlarging the holes to fit his pin size. Hard to find a lot of that stuff anymore in this throw away world. I just used cheapo drill bits and bought lots of them. Dremel drill press works well. Sometimes a breadboard works out better than printed circuit board when you are changing the design as you build. They used to sell push pins that can be put in and removed as required. If you are drilling out the holes for crimp pins you may want to see if you can purchase the push pins from Mouser or other places on the internet.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
I am presently using small perforated breadboards that occasionally need the perforations enlarged for leads of larger devices such as diodes and resistors.

Do I really need carbide drills and an expensive Dremel or Skil tool (which in themselves are clumsy to handle)?

And is there a superior grade of hookup wire? I would prefer wire that it extremely soft annealed and easier to strip. I could also profit from expert advice on wire wrapping tools and accessories.

I cannot find circuits online for my rig so I am manufacturing them from scratch.

Get a Dremel DRILL PRESS ADAPTER/STAND.

SEE HERE

That is what my Tech School used when I was there many moons ago, as one of our lab projects we had to design and layout our own circuit board. Once the board had gone through the stripping process we had to drill out the holes for the components. A Dremel mounted in a drill press adapter stand did the trick.

No special drill bit needed unless you want it to last longer since circuit board material is phenolic board or fiberglass. You just need a set of small drill bits which will fit the collet of your rotary tool and will still make a hole big enough for the wire to pass.

If you are considering making your own circuit board from scratch you can find free software for that purpose online or use MS Paint or Photoshop to draw lines and such.

Once you have the design you can flip the design electronically then print it out on a laser printer.

Once you have the printout you place the printed side of the paper on the copper side of the board. Then use a iron you would use to iron clothes placing it on the back of the paper. The heat of the iron will melt the laser toner and as you press the paper and board together the toner transfers to the copper.

Remove the iron then allow board to cool off to room temp.

Once at room temp place the board into warm water and allow to soak, the soaking is important, you want the paper to rub off away from the toner..

The toner acts like a mask and will stop the etching acid from touching what is under it.

I have used the toner method to create and transfer custom lettering to brass and even plexiglas. It does take some experimentation with paper, types of toner and even how much and how long to heat the item for best transfers.. I have even been able to transfer COLOR laser printing..

Once paper has been removed and you have black mask of toner you simply want to inspect and correct any places the the toner did not stick to (they make masking pens for this).

Once mask is OK you then proceed to etching the board.

For an etch ant you can use Muratic acid instead of buying regular etching acid.

Here is a top notch must read if you want to get all the details on the home transfer and etching process.

Click HERE

As for wiring, I prefer to use stranded when possible, bends easier than solid.

I stay away from the old school wire wrap.. Used to cringe every time I had to repair a 60s-70s Sylvania TV which often made extensive use of wire wrapping :M , just a joy to find that one blasted bad connection under several wraps on one post.. Often ended up soldering each post until the bad one was found.